Need some advice. For the Nikon D600, what mic should i get ?
I hate the recordings off everything i do with the camera (focusing/zooming etc) from the internal microphone. I know an external mic is better, but i need something smal and portable. Or is an on camera mic just as bad as the internal mic ?

Røde VideoMic Pro
Røde Stereo VideoMic Pro
Nikon ME-1

?

Its for nature, motorsports and some around the house recordings. I am wondering if the Nikon ME-1 and VideoMic Pro will record more off me behind the camera because they are stereo mic´s that are not directional ?

Its for nature, motorsports and some around the house recordings. I am wondering if the Nikon ME-1 and VideoMic Pro will record more off me behind the camera because they are stereo mic´s that are not directional ?

As this is a hobby, and i mostly need to be mobile when shooting, i will go for the Røde VideoMic Pro. I will also get an extension cable so i can get the mic on a separate tripod when possible.

Still a little uncertain if i should get the Røde VideoMic Pro or Røde Stereo VideoMic Pro, as the only dialog i will record is the kids from time to time. When doing motorsports and nature, maybe a stereo mic is better ?

For motorsports and nature, I'd get stereo for sure. As a sound guy for 10+ years, I've been very happy with the Rode mics I've owned. I now have a Rode NTG2 Shotgun mic that I've used for video, but not where stereo mattered.

The VideoMic Pro uses XY for stereo which is a very good stereo setup.

I record audio totally off camera direct to my laptop - I'm setup for that better than to record on camera. In general you do NOT want any sort of automatic level control so be sure to look into the level control options on the camera. I don't know what kind of feedback you get for audio level when shooting video - for something like motorsports you'll certainly want to be able to see if you are clipping with the sort of levels you'll hit there.

If you'll be panning when shooting motorsports, I'd think you'd want the mic off camera, otherwise the stereo sound image will follow the camera and you'll loose a lot of the effect it passing in front of you.

For motorsports and nature, I'd get stereo for sure. As a sound guy for 10+ years, I've been very happy with the Rode mics I've owned. I now have a Rode NTG2 Shotgun mic that I've used for video, but not where stereo mattered.

The VideoMic Pro uses XY for stereo which is a very good stereo setup.

I record audio totally off camera direct to my laptop - I'm setup for that better than to record on camera. In general you do NOT want any sort of automatic level control so be sure to look into the level control options on the camera. I don't know what kind of feedback you get for audio level when shooting video - for something like motorsports you'll certainly want to be able to see if you are clipping with the sort of levels you'll hit there.

If you'll be panning when shooting motorsports, I'd think you'd want the mic off camera, otherwise the stereo sound image will follow the camera and you'll loose a lot of the effect it passing in front of you.

It's not like the old days when different tape devices need to be synch'd in order to match speeds. Digital clocks are pretty accurate and I haven't had any trouble with tracks creeping - granted I haven't done any long video sessions yet.

I record audio on camera so it's attached the the video track - when I drop in the audio it's pretty easy to match them up visually with the waveform. I usually CLAP before I start recording just to give me a nice spike for alignment - the clapboard theory, but without the fancy clackity thing.

It's not like the old days when different tape devices need to be synch'd in order to match speeds. Digital clocks are pretty accurate and I haven't had any trouble with tracks creeping - granted I haven't done any long video sessions yet.

I record audio on camera so it's attached the the video track - when I drop in the audio it's pretty easy to match them up visually with the waveform. I usually CLAP before I start recording just to give me a nice spike for alignment - the clapboard theory, but without the fancy clackity thing.